Susanna Moodie
Susanna Moodie (December 6, 1803 - April 8, 1885), was an English-born colonial Canadian author who wrote about her experiences as a settler. Life Moodie was born Susanna Strickland in Bungay, on the River Waveney in Suffolk, the younger sister of 3 other writers, including Agnes Strickland and Catharine Parr Traill. Moodie wrote her earliest children's book in 1822, and published other children's stories in London, including books about Spartacus and Jugurtha. In London she was also involved in the Anti-Slavery Society, transcribing the narrative of former Caribbean slave Mary Prince. On April 4, 1831, Susanna married John Moodie, a retired officer who had served in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1832, with her husband and daughter, Moodie emigrated to Canada. The family settled on a farm in Douro township, near Lakefield, north of Peterborough, Upper Canada, where her brother Samuel worked as a surveyor. She observed life in what was then the backwoods of Ontario, including native customs, the climate, the wildlife, relations between the Canadian population and recent American, and the strong sense of community and the communal work,known as "bees" (which, incidentally, she hated). She suffered through the economic depression in 1836, and her husband served in the militia against William Lyon Mackenzie in the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. As a middle-class Englishwoman Moodie did not particularly enjoy "the bush", as she called it. In 1840 she and her husband moved to Belleville, which she referred to as "the clearings". She studied the Family Compact and became sympathetic to the moderate reformers led by Robert Baldwin, while remaining critical of radical reformers such as William Lyon Mackenzie. This caused problems for her husband, who shared her views, but, as sheriff of Belleville, had to work with members and supporters of the Family Compact. In 1852, she published Roughing it in the Bush, detailing her experiences on the farm in the 1830s. In 1853, she published Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush, about her time in Belleville. She remained in her cottage in Belleville after her husband's death, and lived to see Canadian Confederation. She died in Toronto, Ontario on 8 April 1885 and is buried in Belleville Cemetery. Writing Moodie's letters and journals contain valuable information about life in the colony. Her greatest success was Roughing it in the Bush; which came from a suggestion by her editor that she write an "emigrant's guide" for British people looking to move to Canada. Moodie wrote of the trials and tribulations she found as a "New Canadian", rather than the advantages to be had in the colony. She claimed that her intention was not to discourage immigrants but to prepare people like herself, raised in relative wealth and with no prior experience as farmers, for what life in Canada would be like. Recognition Susanna Moodie's artifacts are housed in a museum in Lakefield. Founded by Samuel Strickland, the museum was formerly an Anglican church, which overlooks the Otonabee river where Susanna once canoed. It also displays artifacts concerning both Samuel and Catharine Parr Traill. William Wilfred Campbell included her poems "Indian Summer" and "The Canadian Herd-Boy" in the Oxford Book of Canadian Verse, 1913.Contents, Oxford Book of Canadian Verse 1913. Bartleby.com, Web, Nov. 18, 2018. On September 8, 2003, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Library of Canada, Canada Post released a special commemorative series, "The Writers of Canada", with a design by Katalina Kovats, featuring 2 English-Canadian and 2 French-Canadian stamps. 3 million stamps were issued. Moodie and her sister Catharine Parr Traill were featured on 1 of the English-Canadian stamps. "50th Anniversary of the National Library / Canadian Authors," Canada Post, Web, 28 Mar. 2011. In popular culture Moodie's books and poetry inspired Margaret Atwood's collection of poetry, The Journals of Susanna Moodie, published in 1970. It was also an important influence on one of Atwood's later novels, Alias Grace, based on an account of murder convict Grace Marks which appeared in Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush. Moodie has also been a source of inspiration for Carol Shields, who published a critical analysis of her work, Susanna Moodie: Voice and Vision. Additionally, the central character of Shields's novel, Small Ceremonies, is working on a biography of Mrs. Moodie. Publications Poetry * Patriotic Songs (poems by Susanna and Agnes Strickland). London: R. Green, 1830. * Enthusiasm, and other poems. London: Smith, Elder, 1831. Novels *''Mark Hurdlestone, the Gold Worshipper. (2 vols.), London: Richard Bentley, 1853. *''Flora Lyndsay, or, Passages in an Eventful Life. London: Richard Bentley, 1854. Volume I, Volume II. *''Matrimonial Speculations. London: Richard Bentley, 1854. *Geoffrey Moncton; or, The faithless guardian.'' New York: DeWitt and Davenport, 1855. **''The Monctons''. London: Richard Bentley, 1856. Volume I, Volume II.Search: Susanna Moodie, Project Gutenberg, Web, Apr. 8, 2012. *''The World Before Them (3 volumes). London: Richard Bentley, 1868. ''Volume I, Volume II, Volume III. *''Voyages: Short Narratives of Susanna Moodie'' (edited by John Thurston). Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1991. Non-fiction *''The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian slave''. London: Westley & Davis / Edinburgh: Waugh & Innis, 1831. **(edited by Moira Ferguson). London: Pandora, 1987. *''Negro Slavery Described by a Negro: Being the narrative of Ashton Warner, a native of St. Vincent's''. London: Maunder, 1831. Memoirs *''Roughing It in the Bush; or, Life in Canada'' (2 volumes). London: Richard Bentley, 1852. **(edited by Carl Ballstadt). Ottawa: Carleton University Press (CEECT Series, no. 5) 1988. *''Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush. London: Richard Bentley, 1853. audio *Life in the Backwoods: A sequel to 'Roughing it in the Bush'.'' New York: John W. Lovell Co.Life in the Backwoods by Susanna Moodie, Project Gutenberg, Web, Apr. 8, 2012. Juvenile *''Spartacus: A Roman story''. London: A.K. Newman, 1822. *''The Little Quaker; or, The triumph of virtue''. London: Thomas Cole, n.d. *''The Sailor Brother; or, the history of Thomas Saville''. London: Dean & Munday, n.d. *''The Little Prisoner; or, Passion and patience''. London: Dean & Munday, n.d. *''Hugh Latimer; or, The school-boy's friendship. London: Dean & Munday, 1828. * ''Rowland Massingham; or, I will be my own master. London: Dean & Munday, n.d. * Profession and Principle; or, The vicar's tales. London: Dean & Munday, n.d. *''Adventures of Little Downy, the Field Mouse. London: Thomas Dran, 1844.Adventures of Little Downy, the Field Mouse (1844), Internet Archive. Web, Oct. 5, 2013. * ''George Leatrim; or, The mother's test. Edinburgh : Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier, 1882.George Leatrim, or The mother's test by Susanna Moodie], Early Canadiana Online. Web, Oct. 5, 2013. Letters * Letters of a Lifetime (edited by Carl Ballstadt, Elizabeth Hopkins, and Michael Peterman). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985.Letters of a Lifetime, Google Books. Web, Oct.5, 2013. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Library and Archives Canada.Susanna Moodie – Bibliography of Major Works, Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Traill, Library and Archives Canada, CollectionsCanada.gc.ca, Web, Apr. 8, 2012. Audio / video *''Roughing It in the Bush'' (CD; read by Billie Mae Richards). Toronto: Canadian National Institute for the Blind, 2001. See also * List of British poets * List of Canadian poets References Notes External links ;Poems *"Canadian Hunters' Song" in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895 *Moodie in the Oxford Book of Canadian Verse: "Indian Summer," "The Canadian Herd-Boy" *"The Sleigh-Bells" *Susanna Moodie 1803-1885 at the Poetry Foundation *Moodie, Susanna (1803-1885) (5 poems) at Representative Poetry Online. *Susanna Moodie in Hidden Rooms: biography and 15 poems *Susanna Moodie - Poems, Women Pioneers in Peterborough County, Trent University. *Susanna Strickland Moodie at PoemHunter (5 poems) ;Books * *[http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/warner/warner.html Ashton Warner - Slave Narrative of St Vincent, British West Indies 1831] ;Audio *Free downloadable audiobooks by Susanna Moodie at Librivox ;Books * *Susanna Moodie at Amazon.com ;About *Susanna Moodie in the Canadian Encyclopedia *Susanna Moodie at English-Canadian Writers *Strickland, Susanna (Moodie) in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. *Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill (website), Library and Collections Canada. Category:Canadian children's writers Category:Canadian short story writers Category:Canadian women writers Category:Canadian novelists Category:Canadian poets Category:English immigrants to pre-Confederation Canada Category:English women writers Category:English short story writers Category:Women short story writers Category:English memoirists Category:Women novelists Category:English novelists Category:English poets Category:Women of the Victorian era Category:People from Suffolk Category:1803 births Category:1885 deaths Category:Women poets Category:Settlers of Canada Category:National Historic Persons of Canada Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:19th-century women writers